How serious are you into your photography?

[rayonline_nz]

Have been thinking about these stuff lately and with the world slowing down. Often in many avenues we hear a lot about equipment and that voice tries to reason with us. I have a 35mm format and now a Hasselblad 500CM and a RB67. I don't have a Mamiya 6 or 7.

When I think about it now with covid. I sit here and nothing changes around me. I could have all this gear and I pretty much just view it on my screen or view the print by myself. I used to carry my camera to work so I went out to photograph during my lunch hour or I attended a camera club meeting and after that at 9pm I go out and shoot night photography but haven't done so much of that lately. For me I am a 50/50. Sometimes I go out and pursue something, other times I just watch TV or have a pizza or a beer if you catch my drift. I admit sometimes maybe it is about just having cool gear and play around with it at home. If Nikon decommissioned their dSLRs I could go and pick up a D6 even thou I don't shoot sports, I had a D2h second hand many years ago but sold it cos I didn't use it often. Before Nikon decommissioned their film SLRs I already have a F100 but I thought about picking up a F6 which I haven't. At the end of the day for me I would probably take the D6 or the F6 and just go and photograph a mountain handheld or on a tripod in AF-S single frame mode hahah.

How do you guys fair in this? Even with my involvement in camera clubs, when we have had field trips many of us were more interested in the chit chats and having beer or coffee that followed afterwards or the slightly more popular Christmas function with the sharing of food and wine for those who were bothered enough to leave their homes and join us at the venue.

Cheers.

 

[markjwyatt]

I take my camera out with my family, or sometimes if I go places with other people, but I really prefer to go out on my own and shoot. If I am with people, I don't feel free to stop, contemplate, spend time moving around a subject, explore, etc., because usually we are doing something. Sometimes, I just take my camera out, and go somewhere (usually close these days/circumstances) and shoot.

 

[guangong]

For some kinds of photography I prefer to be alone, for other kinds I find that family and friends provide cover for shooting. Choice of camera variable with first kind. For second, prefer small rf camera. At present time, how state or locality responds to Chinese virus can influence latter choices. Now in Florida, less control and guided by common sense. Will be returning to NJ, more draconian, so photography will be mainly landscapes.

 

[Craig75]

Not bothered about anyone seeing my work - 99% of the time its just the act of doing it - going out taking whatever printing whatever then whatever straight in the bin. However, the act of doing it all is very calming and educational.

But the photos, and everyones film photos today in my opinion, humanity's been there done that a million times already and better so just another chump with a camera at the end of the day.

 

[jvo]

i retired for 3 months, then

(1) my kids came to live with us and we've just completed their adoption.
(2) I live in Florida

- two major factors that color my experience of the past year, which ain't been bad.​

The kids have become my models and a frequent subject - good ones - and convenient. Living in Florida there are a lot of outdoor restaurants. After the first 3 months, the group of guys i run with started getting together again - outdoors, masked and socially distant. Also good subjects, camaraderie, and outdoors - always beneficial! Both became an opportunity to do more photography due to forces beyond my control, so-to-speak.

During the past year i've had to return my darkroom to a bedroom, and become acquainted to a community darkroom. Also I bought a digital camera and have been putting my foot in that water, which isn't easy, or as much fun.

I've been lucky my experience has been challenging, rewarding, and fun - and yes, I guess not the norm.

Here's to a wonderful 2021 for us all!

 

[Ariston]

I take my camera out with my family, or sometimes if I go places with other people, but I really prefer to go out on my own and shoot. If I am with people, I don't feel free to stop, contemplate, spend time moving around a subject, explore, etc., because usually we are doing something. Sometimes, I just take my camera out, and go somewhere (usually close these days/circumstances) and shoot.

This is dead on for me. My wife is imminently gracious, and assures me she will never rush me, but I tell her I just don't have the heart to make her wait an entire hour (or more) for me to take a single photo.

To the OP's question - I confess that I enjoy the gear, but I would quickly tire of it if it didn't facilitate my "expeditions." Going on a hike with some film is calming, in much the way my Harley used to be. It whispers to my soul.

 

[Pentode]

I take my camera out with my family, or sometimes if I go places with other people, but I really prefer to go out on my own and shoot. If I am with people, I don't feel free to stop, contemplate, spend time moving around a subject, explore, etc., because usually we are doing something. Sometimes, I just take my camera out, and go somewhere (usually close these days/circumstances) and shoot.

I feel exactly the same way. I'll often take a camera with me if I'm out for a walk with my wife but I'm usually enjoying her company and, so, distracted from photography. When I opt to pay more attention to the photography I end up feeling self-conscious about not paying attention to her. As a result, I usually do my best work (for whatever that's worth) when I'm shooting on my own.

The pandemic has forced me out of work and my wife is working from home so I have more time to shoot on my own than I ever have, but I also need to be much more careful about where I go.

Getting back to the OP's question directly, I'm pretty serious about photography. Before COVID my artistic outlets were photography and music, more or less equally divided. With the pandemic keeping me from getting together with other musicians, I've been spending more time than ever on photography.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

This is dead on for me. My wife is imminently gracious, and assures me she will never rush me, but I tell her I just don't have the heart to make her wait an entire hour (or more) for me to take a single photo.

To the OP's question - I confess that I enjoy the gear, but I would quickly tire of it if it didn't facilitate my "expeditions." Going on a hike with some film is calming, in much the way my Harley used to be. It whispers to my soul.

My wife always rushes me which is why I have to go shooting myself. (Like you, I feel rushed if she's around.) When I travel with her on vacation, it's like pulling teeth to get her to pose. She did take some pictures with her iPhone on our last trip which I included in the video slide show I put together to encourage her in the future. I only take a digital P&S on vacation. There's no time for deliberate photo-taking sessions which is actually OK for me too.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I feel exactly the same way. I'll often take a camera with me if I'm out for a walk with my wife but I'm usually enjoying her company and, so, distracted from photography. When I opt to pay more attention to the photography I end up feeling self-conscious about not paying attention to her. As a result, I usually do my best work (for whatever that's worth) when I'm shooting on my own.

The pandemic has forced me out of work and my wife is working from home so I have more time to shoot on my own than I ever have, but I also need to be much more careful about where I go.

Getting back to the OP's question directly, I'm pretty serious about photography. Before COVID my artistic outlets were photography and music, more or less equally divided. With the pandemic keeping me from getting together with other musicians, I've been spending more time than ever on photography.

Have you tried Zoom with your musician friends?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Pretty serious. Pretty much everyday I'm doing something photography related... Yesterday, I sleeved a bunch of negatives that I developed over the weekend. Tonight I'll start making a colour over kallitype. Tomorrow I'll develop more film that's been sitting in a box that I've been meaning to get to... Now I'm off to school to teach photography.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am serious about photography but I am also serious about not getting seriously ill so other than photos of grandchildren, I will wait until it is safe to go out in the world.

 

[removed account4]

I'm serious about photography. Serious enough that I do something photographic every day. I sometimes go out into the real world, but not as often as others. I'm doing my best to keep away from people and make stuff here or at the little island of dreams I visit.

 

[Vaughn]

I am an artist. My art is part of my life. Decisions I have made in my life since about 1980 have always had a major photographic element in them.

Very serious. The pandemic has little affect on that.

 

[logan2z]

I take my photography seriously - probably more seriously than I should, but that's just my personality. If I do something I like to do it as well as I can. To that end I do something photography related every day. That might just be editing a sequence of photos for an upcoming critique or looking through photo books for inspiration.

I go out with my camera as often as possible (almost always solo) but I've been staying much closer to home during the pandemic and shooting primarily from my car. That's obviously put a damper on my street/landscape photography, but I'm doing my best to adapt.

I do like gear (I've probably bought way too much this past year), but I see it primarily as a tool rather than something to be enjoyed in its own right. If not for being cooped up for so long during the pandemic I'd probably own a lot less of it.

Like everyone, I'm hoping for a return of normalcy in 2021 so I can safely get back out there and freely pursue my passion.

 

[4season]

For me, life and photography continue regardless of pandemics. I take recommended precautions of masks, distancing and crowd-avoidance, but otherwise, I do the best that I can with the everyday subject matter around me. But the pandemic itself is a photo-op, with it's queues outside of shops, improvised outdoor dining, quiet streets, safety posters, hand sanitizer dispensers, empty store shelves at the start of the pandemic, tape, paint or chalk markings on the sidewalk placed at 2 meter intervals. Many new murals have popped up on the sides of buildings too, and I've taken the time to see and photograph much while on my way to buy groceries or simply out for exercise.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Unless you're photographing bank robbers, street photos generally stink because you can't see expressions.

 

[Pieter12]

Unless you're photographing bank robbers, street photos generally stink because you can't see expressions.

Are you referring to current street photos of masked individuals?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Are you referring to current street photos of masked individuals?

Yes. With the masks on, they all look too similar. Good street photos often show emotion between people. That's lost with masks. It's also screwing up single people's lives who want to meet others. They can't flirt with the opposite sex.

 

[eddie]

It's also screwing up single people's lives who want to meet others. They can't flirt with the opposite sex.

It probably helps the toothless, and those with bad oral hygiene.

 

[BradS]

[QUOTE="Alan Edward Klein, post: 2364622, member: 85761".... It's also screwing up single people's lives who want to meet others. They can't flirt with the opposite sex. [/QUOTE]

it really screwed up the lives of those 356,000 dead people and their families.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Who was that masked man?

 

[eddie]

Photography may define me more than anything else in my life. I'm at my happiest out with a camera, in the darkroom making prints, and painting the results. (I'm less happy developing film, and matting/ framing, though I love seeing freshly developed film hanging to dry, and what the print looks like ready for presentation).

 

[Pentode]

Have you tried Zoom with your musician friends?

I’m not a fan of Zoom, to be honest. I don’t even like it for conversation. It serves a purpose, especially with what’s going on in the world, but I don’t enjoy it much.

 

[Pentode]

Unless you're photographing bank robbers, street photos generally stink because you can't see expressions.

That bothered me at first but now that I’ve gotten used to it I don’t even really notice anymore. People have just found other ways to be physically expressive.

It probably helps the toothless, and those with bad oral hygiene.

One of the hidden benefits of a global pandemic.

 

[eddie]

One of the hidden benefits of a global pandemic.

It's important to find the bright side in everything.